1. Smash it with hands. A great opportunity for pure sensory exploration.

2. Smash it with a tool. Potato smashers work well, and there are so many different kinds.

3. Pull it apart. This is a good precursor for learning to tear paper later on.

4. Roll it with hands. Don’t expect your toddler to be able to roll a ball with coordinated motions at this age. Instead help them practice simply rolling the play dough back and forth to make an oblong form (snake, worm, hot dog…whatever you want to call it).

5. Roll it with a tool. Hands can be placed either directly on top of the rolling pin, or on the outer handles. Don’t have a rolling pin? Use the side of a firm cup to roll instead.